How do you know if you *don't* pass?

Honest to god, I have lots of empathy. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it either. Passing is super hard, especially if your bar is rolling out of bed and failing boy mode just walking out the door.

You've been on HRT for one year, and you haven't been living full-time. Those two things (time and not being 100% in girl mode) are working against you.

It took me two years on HRT, and living full-time for about the same period of time, before I could just roll out of bed, twist my hair into a low bun, put on any random tshirt, and walk out the door without being 'sirred.' Being two years on HRT was key, because it was actually my second year that had the biggest impact on me. Being two years full-time was equally important, because my mannerisms took a very, very long time to adapt - yes, even sitting rigidly and putting weight on your shoulders would've been enough to get me gendered male. Cis women are socialized into these really oppressive ways they're supposed to move/carry their bodies, and so any small deviation from these norms makes us trans women stand out really clearly. Give HRT more time, spend more time as yourself, and eventually you'll get there.

Nowadays I do fail boymode if I step out with no effort whatsoever, but something my therapist has made me aware of is that I no longer can go out into the world without putting in any effort and not expect misogyny. Yes, I get gendered correctly 100% of the time regardless of what I wear, but if I don't put at least some minimal effort into my appearance, I'll start noticing judgey stares (they look different from 'clocky' stares) and I won't be treated nicely. Living as female means, unfortunately, you can't really roll out of bed and expect the same life you would live as male, even if you pass completely.

/r/asktransgender Thread Parent